Idaho wilderness is about to be given away to develpers for free [View All]

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http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-king14aug14,0,552990.story?coll=la-opinion-rightrail

Idaho's Off-Road Uproar
A bill promises to preserve the wilderness -- for gearheads.
By Carole King, CAROLE KING is a singer, songwriter and longtime conservation activist.
August 14, 2006

WHILE OUR attention is on other parts of the world, an insidious movement is underway at home to privatize nationally owned land. Its proponents are using federal "quid pro quo" bills, which typically include just enough wilderness designation to get a buy-in from selected conservation groups. Roughly 250,000 acres have been privatized through such legislation since 2000.

One such bill is the proposed Central Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act, which has passed in the House and is pending in the Senate.


Why is a bill for Idaho of interest to Los Angeles residents or anyone else outside of Idaho? Because public lands in Idaho are owned by all Americans, including my mother in Florida, your father in Highland Park and the president's housekeeper in Texas.

This bill asks Americans to accept the outright giveaway of thousands of acres of public land in Idaho for private development. In return for their support, the handful of conservation groups backing it may claim its passage as a "win" because some land is designated as wilderness.

But this bill does not protect federal water rights, thus threatening salmon recovery.